


Tragedy Bound

by geckoholic



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-05
Updated: 2009-12-05
Packaged: 2017-10-04 04:36:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geckoholic/pseuds/geckoholic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>If what happenend with Lisa told Jack any thing, then it was that Ianto wasn't one to ask for help. Well, help from him, anyway.</em> - A bit of post-Countrycide Jack/Ianto-H/C.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tragedy Bound

**Author's Note:**

> For fantastique. She wished for something that shows that they really care for each other. I hope you like, BB!
> 
> Itsthewords beta'd for grammer and spelling. And cocoaphonic pretty much made this readable. Thank you so much!! All remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> Title is from "Tragedy Bound" by The Bravery.

"Jack, would you please let go of me already? I can very well walk by myself!" Ianto struggled to get rid of Jacks helping hands and turned around to him. His attempt at an annoyed glare was ruined by the way he staggered from side to side.

He cringed as he stood up straight, annoyed expression washed away by a grimace of his pain, and he fell slightly towards Jack.

"Yeah, of course you can," Jack said, but tightened his grip on Ianto's arm.

Though he huffed at that and glowered, Ianto didn't insist on walking on his own anymore as Jack helped him up the stairs to his flat. He let Jack take the lead, though carefully trying not to touch him too much, and Jack could tell it wasn't easy for him to accept even this tiny bit of help. If what happenend with Lisa told Jack any thing, then it was that Ianto wasn't one to ask for help. Well, help from him, anyway.

It was a weird feeling to be here again. The last time, the mood had been a lot lighter, somewhat goofy even, and he had spent the time it took to walk up the stairs trying to undress Ianto right there in the stairway. Ianto, of course, had tried to prevent that. He'd pointed out that the neighbours would have been having a heart attack if they saw nice-but-boring Mr. Jones being undressed by another man, and one of the main purposes of Torchwood was to protect people, wasn't it? Still, they both had laughed all the way up, and there had been no holding back once they reached the flat. Jack had Ianto naked except for shirt, tie, shoes and socks by the time they had reached the living room.

They reached the flat door, and Ianto leant into Jack for support while fumbling for the keys. Feeling Ianto so close and radiating body heat made something inside Jack ache. It was the first time in weeks they'd been like this, Jack realised, and took a deep breath in an effort to keep his mind in the present.

The moment passed and Ianto leant forward and away from him to unlock the door. For a split second, Jack was hit by such an intense feeling of loss that he almost yanked Ianto back - but he couldn't. He gritted his teeth, ignoring Ianto's questioning look as they entered the flat.

For a few awkward seconds, they stood in the hallway without either of them moving, before Ianto mumbled something about a shower, freed himself from Jack's grasp and stumbled towards the bathroom, a hand reaching out to the wall every few steps to support himself.

Jack was left standing in the hallway, looking after him with mixed emotions before heading for the living room. He absent-mindedly skimmed through a news magazine lying on the coffee table. It wasn't all that interesting, really - just a desperate attempt to forget what Ianto had been thinking that last time, when they'd been fucking on the same sofa Jack was sitting on. It still baffled him, that Ianto had felt like crap, that he had lied and Jack never catched on. Ianto had allowed Jack to use him, no feelings involved, and Jack would never admit how much it had hurt - how much it still hurt - to find out.

A shriek tore him from his thoughts, and within seconds, Jack was down the hall and in the bathroom.

Ianto sat in the shower, curling in on himself like a fetus. He looked up to Jack, but refused to make eye contact, and bit his lip while seemingly trying to blink away tears. Water still ran down his body, though the shower head laid beside him in the tub, and Jack figured Ianto might have tried to keep himself from falling by reaching for the hose when he slipped. Ianto looked very young, sitting there like that. Jack turned off the water.

To allow Ianto to keep at least some of his dignity, Jack just wordlessly offered him a hand and and pulled him back up on his feet rather than manhandling him out of the shower, supporting him while Ianto briefly toweled himself off.

Neither of them said a word as Jack half-carried Ianto to the bedroom, and they still didn't speak as he lifted the covers and guided him into bed.

Finally, Jack sat down in a chair next to the bed. His eyes were fixed on Ianto as he nervously waited for being sent out of his bedroom, his flat, his life, hoping that he'd be allowed to stay. After what felt like forever, Ianto opened his mouth to say something, but didn't. Instead, he gingerly turned around on the bed. Away from him, Jack thought, but he was content with the unspoken permission to stay. For a while, he watched Ianto sleep, concentrating on his chest rising and falling with each breath before Jack dozed off, himself.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Monsters Are Always Hungry (The Broken Down Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4236462) by [coricomile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coricomile/pseuds/coricomile)




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